Twisted Proposals
by Nichole Marye
Summary: "Yes! Oh, yes! Of course Sasuke!" She gushes loudly and just like that it was done. {R&R}
1. Can't Remember to Forget You

Twisted Proposals

* * *

Chapter 1: Can't Remember to Forget You

* * *

The reason he would marry was fairly simple, love. He'd like to think he made the right choice because in the end he knew her love was something he didn't deserve, but if she was happy then he figured that would be enough for him.

* * *

They were in the midst of a mission, battling a group of six ninja, probably chunin. "Each of us will take on two." Sakura declared, being the captain in the mission. Tsunade didn't trust either Naruto or Sasuke to be leaders. Sasuke knew firsthand how strong Sakura was, having fought beside her during the war but still he found himself glancing her way making sure she was alright.

He was trying to fight his enemies off as quickly as he could and he would have finished by now if she wasn't a constant distraction.

He glanced at Naruto's way and saw him playing more than fighting with his enemies. Sasuke was sure their enemies were mentally challenged because no one in their right mind would challenge Team 7, the heroes of the war.

Sasuke upon losing his patience performed a fire jutsu throwing a fireball at his opponents then appeared behind them and kicked them both a few feet away. He wasn't sure if they were still conscious or not because he immediately turned his attention to Sakura. She was fighting the two ninja with her brute strength; but when the two attacked at once one from the front and the other from behind he didn't think twice about going to her aid.

He rushed at her and when he was close enough threw her with a harsh shove to the side and used the Leaf Whirlwind, a technique he had copied from Lee, throwing the enemies a few feet away.

Naruto, apparently already finishing his battle, rushed over to Sakura who had landed on the ground and quickly asked her if she was alright. Sasuke too turned toward her and asked, "Are you hurt?" Concern was evident on his voice as he approached her.

She took a moment to stand to her feet visibly ignoring Naruto and Sasuke's questions, she then turned around as if looking for something. "Where are the ninja we just fought?" She asked, her voice laced with anger.

Sasuke and Naruto both looked around to find that the ninja they had just fought were nowhere to be found. "They escaped." Spoke Sasuke, stating the obvious an earning a glare from the pink haired kunoichi.

"I noticed." She paused to take a breath, trying to keep calm. "Now do tell me why did they escape?" Her question along with her glare was solely directed at Sasuke. Sasuke was surprised to see Naruto, from the corner of his eyes, remaining quiet.

"Because they had the chance." Sasuke replied ignoring Sakura's harsh tone of voice that seemed to imply it was somehow his fault.

That seemed to make the kunoichi explode. "Of course they had the chance!" She yelled exasperated. "I told you we were to defeat two each, but _no_! You just had to come to my rescue leaving the ones you defeated unguarded!" Sasuke was almost sure that even Tsunade back in Konoha could hear Sakura yelling.

"I was giving you a hand." Sasuke supplied still unfazed by her anger.

"And who told you I needed your help!?" She yelled, her hands turning into fists beside her. He saw Naruto take a few steps backwards, probably knowing it was better to step out of Sakura's Circle of Terror especially when it wasn't directed at him. "I can defend myself just fine, I don't need you tossing me aside and fighting my battles for me!" Her voice seemed to grow louder, if that was even possible.

"I know." Sasuke spoke with a frustrated sigh.

"Then why, why do you do it?" Sakura glared at him.

"Force of habit, I guess." His reply was quick, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either.

"Well get this through your thick skull Sasuke, I don't need anyone's protection. I think I've done enough to prove my worth as a kunoichi; and as a sign of respect the least you could do is acknowledge my abilities not belittle them by protecting me." It wasn't the first time she'd gotten mad at him and it probably wouldn't be the last, but it had been a while since he'd seen her so angry, especially at him.

He found himself liking the way she yelled at him and defended herself from him. It was part of a Sakura he never saw the transition to, a different Sakura than the one he had once tried to sever bonds with. This Sakura wasn't afraid of talking back to him, she was more confident. The Sakura that with a last glare his way walked away from them now was a Sakura that refused to stay one step behind them and watch their backs, she walked beside them with her head held high.

The reason he protected her wasn't because he didn't believe in her strength and abilities, it was as he had told her, a force of habit. She was his team mate, and most importantly she was Sakura and he couldn't help the urge of wanting to protect her.

It wasn't the first time he'd accepted the extend of how much he cared for the pink haired kunoichi, but it worried him and terrified him every time he came to the conclusion. He shook his head slightly, knowing that his thoughts were headed into dangerous territory. He glanced at Naruto seeing him still staring at the direction Sakura had just left to.

"You really did it this time, teme." Naruto told him as he turned to face him.

"I didn't do anything wrong." Sasuke told Naruto with a shrug.

"Are you kidding me? You know she hates to be underestimated, especially by us." His eyes were wide as he shook his head at the raven haired Uchiha. "What were you thinking!? Throwing her aside to fight a battle for her, you're lucky she didn't get violent!" Naruto threw his arms in the air, in Sasuke's opinion he was making things bigger than they really were; exaggerating was the word.

He knew Naruto wanted him to apologize, but it was safe to say that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. The last time he apologized to her was in the middle of the war and that didn't go so well, it could be said that it was the worst decision he ever made second only to leaving the village.

Apologizing again was something he would like to evade, permanently.

* * *

When Sakura returned back to the team she didn't look happy, but at least she didn't look ready to rip his head out he assumed that to be progress.

They walked mostly in silence, Sakura didn't seem in the mood to talk just yet and Naruto seemed to know better than try to force a conversation out of her in her current condition. Sasuke in the silence could finally admit, if only to himself; that what he had done earlier had been wrong. It wasn't right to interfere in her battle when she was more than capable to beat them herself. Not to mention that his little stunt could have been a setback for the mission.

The mist grew thick around them which meant they were almost to their destination, the village once called village of the bloody mist and now known as the Hidden Mist Village, Kirigakure.

"We're close, right Sakura?" Naruto asked as he looked around himself.

"We are." Sakura assured him and then sighed before speaking again. "This goes without saying but I think I'll say it anyway, I want you two to be on your best behavior. This means I don't want any trouble Naruto, and Sasuke remember you aren't on any of the Kage's good side." Naruto chuckled at that and Sakura sent both shinobi a pointed look.

Sasuke wasn't an idiot he knew the mission was important and they were sent specifically because the three of them had an important role in the war. Sasuke knew Tsunade had done well in selecting Sakura to lead their mission considering Sasuke's reputation and Naruto's lack of professionalism.

"Haruno Sakura, the Mizukage has been expecting you, right this way." The voice broke Sasuke away from his thoughts. The man before them led the three of them to a large building where they were told they would find the Mizukage.

Sakura thanked the man who led them there before walking inside both Naruto and Sasuke following her. With the man's instructions Sakura was able to quickly get to the office. Sasuke knew that if it had been Naruto they would have surely gotten lost in such a confusing building.

Sakura knocked on the door softly and opened it when getting a reply from the inside. The three of them stepped inside the office and were greeted with the sight of the Mizukage setting the paperwork aside as she turned to them with a smile.

"You must be Sakura Haruno, a pleasure to meet you." The Mizukage stood from her desk and made her way around it taking a seat on said desk.

"Same here, Lady Mizukage." Sakura spoke respectfully bowing her head slightly.

"Call me Mei." The woman's smile turned warm and she then turned her attention to Sasuke.

Sasuke remembered the woman from the Kage Summit back when he was bent on revenge and a little too far gone, not something he'd like to admit. "Well, well look who we have here… Sasuke Uchiha. I'm glad to see you've finally seen the light, a little birdy told me that it took a history lesson from the God of Shinobi for you to come to your senses. Quite the story teller he must be." Her smile turned into a smirk and Sasuke resisted the urge to narrow his eyes at the woman before him. Such an obnoxious woman. "So it seems we not only get to keep the sharingan in this world, but such a handsome man too; be sure to pass those genes of yours to the next generation." She winked.

"Hey, hey! What about me?" Naruto protested not bearing the thought of Sasuke winning in even being liked by the Mizukage.

Mei's attention turned then to the blond. "Sorry darling, not everyone is blessed with good looks." Sasuke saw the amused smile that tugged at Sakura's lips threatening to show before he decided to turn his gaze away from her.

"We've come to deliver you a scroll from Konoha." Spoke Sakura finally getting to business and handing the woman the small scroll which she placed beside her on the desk.

"Thank you three for a job well done, I apologize you had to come all the way here just to deliver a scroll." Her smile turned apologetic. "I've prepared a reservation in the name of Sakura Haruno in the hotel just outside from here, you're to spend the night and I wish you a safe trip back home." Mei cheerfully said goodbye to the three of them and winked in Sasuke's direction twice before they left the office.

* * *

Once in the hotel room Sakura threw herself on the bed in the corner closest to the door. She relished for a small moment how comfortable it was and rolled around placing herself in a sitting position with her legs crossed in front of her as she looked at her teammates.

Naruto was looking at the two remaining beds probably pondering which one he wanted to himself, but before he could choose Sasuke walked over to the bed in the other corner and took a seat.

"Hey! I wanted that one!" Naruto complained loudly and Sakura resisted the urge to giggle because she was supposed to be mad.

It was hard for her to stay mad at either of them. A year and a half had gone by after the war and it took them a while before things between them could get comfortable. She looked at the two boys bickering from across the room, a small smile on her face. Anyone who saw them now would find hard to believe how difficult it had been for things to turn out this way, it didn't come natural as some people believed.

"Would you two stop it!" She yelled at both boys who seemed to have forgotten she was still in the room.

"You always ruin all the fun Sakura." Naruto pouted.

"And you act like a child Naruto, if I don't stop you it would probably end up in a fight." She couldn't help but smile as Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her. "We'll be heading for Konoha first thing in the morning, if there aren't any setbacks we should be there by the afternoon so we should sleep soon." Sakura informed them as she proceeded to look through her backpack finding the spare clothes she had brought.

"Well I'm hungry so I'll go see if I can find a ramen shop around here." Naruto declared as he quickly left the room throwing the door behind him.

Sakura sighed before turning to Sasuke. "I'm going to wash up." She told him before making her way to the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

She quickly discarded her clothes and stepped in the shower. She let the water fall on her as she relaxed, if it were for her she would stay there all day, but after a few minutes in the shower she sighed.

Naruto could be one to skip a bath now and then even in missions, but not Sasuke and she knew that if she took too long he would start complaining. After washing herself she quickly made her way out of the shower.

She dried her hair with a towel and proceeded to put on her clothes which consisted of some black shorts and a small undershirt she usually wears beneath her red one. Taking the dirty clothes with her she came out of the bathroom a content smile adorning her lips. After putting away the dirty clothes she turned around to see Sasuke sitting on the bed with his back against the wall, his eyes closed.

"Sasuke?" Sakura called approaching his bed when he opened up his eyes to look up at her she spoke again. "I'm done; you can use the bathroom now." He continued to look at her, not moving.

After a moment he stood up from the bed slowly and proceeded to look through his backpack. Sakura turned away from him and walked over her bed when his voice stopped her.

"Sakura." He called out to her and when she turned to him she saw him looking straight at her.

"Hmm?" Sakura mumbled blinking twice, wondering what he wanted. He surprised her by taking her wrist and pulling her toward him. She was too taken aback by his actions to react.

They were close now; their faces no more than inches apart and Sakura couldn't look at anything else but him. His onyx eyes bore into hers and she could hear her heat beating loudly in her chest, she knew he could hear it too.

In a swift motion Sasuke closed the distance between them, their lips meeting in a kiss. It took Sakura a moment to process what was happening but when she did she kissed him back wrapping her arms around him. She felt as his arms wrapped around her holding her close, tangling his hands through her wet hair as he deepened the kiss. Soon enough they were out of breath, it was then that they broke off the kiss and their eyes met.

Sasuke's eyes widened after a moment and he opened his mouth to speak. "I…" He trailed off not seeming to know how to continue. He detangled himself from her gently but quickly and once again opened his mouth to speak. He shook his head, not saying anything and turned away from her walking out of the room closing the door behind him.

Sakura was left there standing in the middle of the room frozen in shock not knowing exactly how to make sense of what had happened. The lack of Sasuke's warmth made her shiver with cold and it was then that she came to the realization.

Sasuke had just kissed her.

She blinked several times before passing a hand through her hair, she was sure she wasn't going to be able to sleep any time soon.

* * *

_a/n:_

_So a new story, yeah I know I have unfinished ones but this has been sitting in my computer for months waiting to make its appearance._

_Let me know what you think of this first chapter._

_Just make my day and write a little something below. ;)  
You review, I update. _


	2. Twisting Allegories

Twisted Proposals

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Chapter 2: Twisting Allegories

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_Sasuke's eyes widened after a moment and he opened his mouth to speak. "I…" He trailed off not seeming to know how to continue. He detangled himself from her gently but quickly and once again opened his mouth to speak. He shook his head, not saying anything and turned away from her walking out of the room closing the door behind him._

_Sakura was left there standing in the middle of the room frozen in shock not knowing exactly how to make sense of what had happened. The lack of Sasuke's warmth made her shiver with cold and it was then that she came to the realization._

_Sasuke had just kissed her._

_She blinked several times before passing a hand through her hair, she was sure she wasn't going to be able to sleep any time soon._

* * *

That morning Naruto knew there was something wrong, he could bet a whole year of ramen supply on it. There was tension thick enough to cut through with a kunai, that couldn't mean any good.

Sasuke was even quieter than usual, if that was even possible. Then there was Sakura, just as quiet and way too calm for anyone's own good. Naruto couldn't help but wonder if anything had happened the night before after he left in his hunt for a ramen stand.

In the morning as they got ready to leave the hotel neither Sasuke nor Sakura spoke a word They've been traveling all morning and there had been no communication whatsoever. Naruto hadn't spoken either his gaze shifting to both of them from time to time wondering what had happened, it wasn't normal for them to ignore each other like that.

As they jumped from tree to tree Naruto stayed behind observing them, they kept as far away from each other as possible and when they got close he watched as their shoulders immediately tensed and they proceeded to quickly separate again.

The last time he had seen them act like that was when they had become a team again; there had always been a tension. And for whatever reason it seemed to be back.

To say Naruto was worried was an understatement. He didn't want his team to go back to becoming strangers, not after everything it took for them to learn to trust each other again.

He knew he had to do something before this became a permanent thing between them.

"Hey!" He called to Sasuke and Sakura who were up front, none of them turned their heads to him and so he sighed before continuing. "How long until we get to Konoha?" He asked hoping to get a response from either of them and prove that they hadn't lost their voices.

"A few hours if we keep going at this rate." Sakura surprisingly answered not turning to look his way.

"Can't we stop for a while, I'm hungry!" Naruto complained loudly, hoping to convince them to stop for a while. It was true, he was hungry but wanting to stop also had a lot to do with wanting to find out what was going on with his team mates.

"Can't you wait until we get to Konoha, dobe?" Sasuke shot at him, but just as Sakura didn't turn to look at him keeping his gaze locked forward.

"Well if I wait any longer I might faint and that would only slow things down more, so pretty please Sakura?!" Naruto practically pleaded and for a moment he thought Sakura would say no, but then she sighed and slowly came to a stop jumping down the tree to the ground.

"Fine, we'll stop. But we can't take all day to eat, so one of you go catch some fish I'll get some branches we can use for a fire." Sakura ordered as she walked away.

"I'll go get the fish." Sasuke muttered as he too walked away.

Naruto decided to follow Sakura first. "Hey Sakura!" He called out to her and she turned to him her expression expecting. "Do you know what's wrong with Sasuke?" He asked getting to the point, there was no use in beating around the bush.

"Tch, how should I know? He probably has a stick up his ass as usual, can't make up his mind about what he wants." Her eyes narrowed as she finished talking before they once again turned to the blonde. "What are you asking for anyway? If you have time to go around asking useless questions then go and help him get the fish, he probably can't make up his mind whether to catch one or not." The last part she mumbled under her breath, but it was loud enough for Naruto to hear. Without another word she walked away leaving him alone.

Naruto used his great detective skills to round up three possible answers to his team mate's attitude. First, Sasuke had done something to anger Sakura. Second, Sakura had done something to annoy Sasuke. Third, something had happened between them.

Naruto nodded to himself thinking he was a genius.

He ran toward the direction he had come from, knowing he had to see Sasuke's side of things to get the complete story. He heard Sasuke as he attempted to catch some fish and made his way to him.

Sasuke was glaring at the water with so much force that if looks could kill the fish would already been dead. "Uhh…teme?" Naruto cocked his head to the side as he stared at the very annoyed Sasuke standing a few feet away.

"What do you want dobe?" Sasuke asked as he narrowed his eyes.

"I'm worried about Sakura, she's been acting strange today. Do you know what's wrong with her?" The blonde asked watching carefully for Sasuke's reaction.

He scoffed before answering. "She's probably in that time of the month, 'cause she just had to get in the way and ruin everything." His reply left Naruto more than a little confused. "Annoying woman." Sasuke muttered before turning around and walking away to try and catch the fish.

Again Naruto stood there alone using his great detective skill to figure out what was wrong. It seemed that Sasuke can't make up his mind about what he wants and Sakura gets in the way. It could only mean one thing.

Sasuke and Sakura had an argument.

"Genius, even better than Shikamaru." Naruto chuckled to himself.

* * *

The space around them was silent as they ate their lunch which consisted of fish. Sasuke ate his while looking at the ground but still he could feel Naruto's gaze on him from time to time. He knew it had to do with his earlier question about Sakura. In that moment of anger he had said more than he should have.

But he wasn't worried, Naruto was an idiot. There was no way in hell he could guess what had happened between them and he was pretty sure Sakura wouldn't tell him either.

He was still mentally beating himself up for what he did the night before.

He's always been so good at controlling himself; he's always been able to hold on to his calm facades. It wasn't the first time he'd had the urge to kiss her, and it wasn't the strongest urge he'd had. Yet, he hadn't been able to stop himself and he knew why. It had gotten worse.

And to top it off, he ran away, like a puppy with its tail between its legs. It wasn't like he could have told her the truth.

"_Yeah, you know when you confessed your love to me and I left you on a cold bench? Guess what? Years later it finally happen and I can't stop thinking about you."_

He mentally kicked himself, there was no way in hell he was going to admit that. He would get it under control; he would kill that urge somehow.

"Hey!" Naruto's voice broke him out of his thoughts and brought him back to reality; a reality where the subject of his dilemma was sitting right beside him. His gaze shifted to Naruto and from the corner of his eye he saw Sakura do the same.

"I know you two are kinda mad at each other," Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the blonde. "and don't look at me like that. I'm not an idiot, I know what's going on. But just look at it this way, if you leave things the way they are it'll just get worse, one of you two has to be willing to make the first move." The blonde eyed both Sasuke and Sakura as he finished and Sasuke tried not letting surprise show on his face.

From the corner of his eyes he saw as Sakura threw a withering look his way thinking he hadn't noticed but he did. He on the other hand tried avoiding Naruto's gaze, he knew Naruto didn't really know the root of the problem but he was afraid that his expression might give him away.

_One of you two has to be willing to make the first move._

He didn't want to admit that Naruto was most probably right. Someone had to make the first move and he knew that what happened the night before had been his fault. So it only seemed to be right for him to make the first move.

* * *

As they reached the village gates late in the afternoon Sasuke heard Naruto yell excitedly. "Ramen!" Then the blonde turned to both his team mates with a hopeful expression and he didn't have to voice his thought aloud for them to know what he wanted to say.

"I'm tired of eating ramen every time we get home from a mission." Sakura complained placing her hands on her hips and Sasuke had to force himself to look away. Since Naruto talked to them during lunch Sakura had become a bit more talkative to the blonde, but Sasuke still felt the tension directed towards him.

Naruto glared at Sakura for a moment before sighing in defeat and turning to Sasuke. "I have something to do." The raven haired Uchiha quickly answered earning an exasperated sigh from the blonde.

"You guys are no fun." Naruto muttered under his breath loud enough for both his teammates to hear.

Sasuke shook his head at the blonde, ramen was all he ate and he wasn't looking forward to going to Ichiraku for the millionth time that week, besides he had something he had to do. Sasuke walked away with just a glance at Sakura who was too busy rolling her eyes at Naruto to notice.

He walked through the village with his hands stuffed in his pockets his eyes glued to the ground. Through their way home he thought over Naruto's words more times that he could count and he knew he was right. What he didn't know was what to do about the situation.

He knew for a fact that Sakura loved him, he felt it in her kiss and he's seen it in her eyes that stare at him with a love he didn't deserve. He had no idea when it was he fell, when she became more than just a team mate and more than just a friend.

It could have been as she cared for him after the war with a compassion he never expected from her. It could have been on the way of becoming a team again where he had to learn to trust and be trusted once again. It could have been between the team spars and times at Ichiraku. But when it was didn't really matter, the only thing that mattered is that he fell hard.

One day she was Sakura and the next she was _Sakura_ and he just couldn't keep his eyes off her he couldn't help but watch as her lips would often curl up in a smile.

And he would often find himself cursing his luck.

Because of all the women he's ever met he had to fall for her, the one he couldn't have. He doesn't deserve her and he just can't ignore the fact that he's hurt her more times that he can count. He's taken far more than enough from her and he refused to take any more.

And he repeats that in his mind time and time again trying to convince himself as he walks over to his destination.

As he steps into the small shop the lady behind the counter quickly catches sight of him and of course recognizes the last Uchiha. "Uchiha Sasuke, how nice to see you in here." She greets as a smile spreads across her face, she knows he means business. A man like him wouldn't step into her shop unless he didn't.

"Hn." He replies as he looks around looking clearly uncomfortable, the woman who greeted him seems to notice and makes her way toward him.

"What exactly might you be looking for?" She asks him nicely as she offers help.

Sasuke turns to her and without thinking it twice the words escape his lips. "I'm looking for a wedding ring." He tells her causing the woman's eyes to widen in surprise.

Sasuke Uchiha looking for a wedding ring, it's probably the last thing she expected when he walked into the shop. "And who might the lucky lady be?" The woman quickly asked when she recovered from the surprise. Sasuke sent her a look that made it clear it wasn't any of her business and the woman cleared her throat before leading him to the item he sought.

There were plenty of rings, all different yet the same and as he looked them over he wondered which one of them she would like. With another look at them he figured that he didn't really care. "Which one would you recommend?" He raised his gaze toward the woman that stood behind the counter.

She didn't think twice as she reached for one of the many rings displayed. She made an attempt to show Sasuke the ring but he interrupted her before she got the chance. "That one's fine." He told her without looking because it didn't really matter. The woman nodded and quickly packed it up for him.

Sasuke paid the woman and left the shop, the ring in a little black box stuffed in his pockets and he was surprised at how much it seemed to weight. With every step he took he wanted to turn around and forget about the ring in his pockets. Yet with every step he took he seemed to take another and before long it was too late to turn back.

_I doesn't deserve her._

He repeats in his mind as he reaches his destination. He knew where to find her, he thinks she spars there most of the days and he once again curses his bad luck that he has to find her alone.

_I just can't ignore the fact that I've hurt her more times that I can count._

Only green surrounds them and it's impossible to run away now, he reminds himself that Uchiha's don't run away as she turns to face him a ridiculously large smile making her way onto her lips.

"Sasuke!" She greets him and he fears that her voice might have been loud enough for the whole village to hear. "What are you doing here?" She asks the magic question and he wants nothing more than to turn away and not answer.

_I've taken far more than enough from her and I refuse to take any more._

The ring in his pockets seems to weight far more than it should in that moment and as his hand clasps around it the ring seems to burn. And once again he had to remind himself why he was there to gather the courage to speak the words that needed to be spoken.

"Would you marry me?" He asks as he takes out the box and opens it to reveal a ring; it doesn't happen in slow motion as he thought it would, on the contrary. It's too fast for his liking and it doesn't give him time to take back his words before she shrieks making him snap his eyes shut in frustration.

"Yes! Oh, yes! Of course Sasuke!" She gushes loudly and just like that it was done. He feels as she quickly takes away the ring from his hands and throws her arms around him. As he opens his eyes he is met with Karin's red eyes and before he can even react her lips meet his and he can't help but compare.

It's nothing like Sakura's, her lips are cold against his as she kisses him but he barely reacts. Because he can't help but listen to the voice in his mind that tells him that it just isn't right.

* * *

The reason he would marry Karin Uzumaki was fairly simple, love. Love not for the redhead but for the pinkette. He'd like to think he made the right choice because in the end he knew her love was something he didn't deserve, but if she was happy then he figured that would be enough for him.

* * *

_a/n: So here is the second chapter, some of you may have expected this some probably hadn't but yeah.  
__Hope you all enjoyed it and if you have some time let me know what you think, I'd love to know. :)_

_Leave me a little review and I might update soon! ;)_


	3. Let Her Go

Twisted Proposals

* * *

Chapter 3: Let her Go

* * *

"_Would you marry me?" He asks as he takes out the box and opens it to reveal a ring; it doesn't happen in slow motion as he thought it would, on the contrary. It's too fast for his liking and it doesn't give him time to take back his words before she shrieks making him snap his eyes shut in frustration._

"_Yes! Oh, yes! Of course Sasuke!" She gushes loudly and just like that it was done. He feels as she quickly takes away the ring from his hands and throws her arms around him. As he opens his eyes he is met with Karin's red eyes and before he can even react her lips meet his and he can't help but compare._

_It's nothing like Sakura's, her lips are cold against his as she kisses him but he barely reacts. Because he can't help but listen to the voice in his mind that tells him that it just isn't right._

* * *

She takes the ring out of the box and places it in her finger and she smiles, a bright and large smile plastered on her face as she admires the ring. Probably thinking things along the line of how much did it cost and how she could show it off to the whole village so by the end of the day everyone would know.

Karin Uzumaki would marry Sasuke Uchiha.

Sasuke didn't like the sound of it, the looks of it, and much less the thought of it. He knew he had done what needed to be done, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"It's beautiful!" She exclaimed as she closely admired the ring, he of course didn't reply and instead turned his gaze to the ground. He didn't act like the excited Sasuke she probably wanted, but she seemed to know better than to complain.

He didn't feel like pretending for her, didn't even try to force a smile much less to look at her face. He felt as the hand with the ring slipped into his and gripped it tightly. "What brought this on?" She asked, curiosity finally getting the best of her.

Of course she would want to know what made the Uchiha have a change of heart. A week ago he wouldn't even look twice in her direction and now suddenly he was giving her a ring and proposing marriage.

"It's been on my mind." Lie. She hadn't even crossed his mind, she was just the means to a solution he needed, nothing more.

"I knew you were going to figure out sooner or later that I was the right woman for you." She said her voice laced with a smugness he couldn't help but dislike. He remained quiet and she took it as an invitation to keep talking. "I'm glad you finally figured it out." She added and a sigh of frustration escaped his lips.

He just wanted her to shut up. He wanted her to seal her lips shut and not say a word; she was just making things harder than they needed to be. He had just proposed to her, what else did she want from him?

"There is no one better suited for you than I am." She told him and it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself.

Shut up, he wanted to say, but he didn't. His bad mood wasn't her fault, it was his own. It was something he had to remind himself to keep from snapping at her.

The moment he proposed to her he thought there was no way the day could get any worse, but he was wrong. In that instant as Karin's hand gripped Sasuke's Juugo and Suigetsu decided to make their appearance.

Sasuke saw as both Suigetsu and Juugo suddenly stopped in their tracks as they saw them holding hands, it was one thing for Sasuke to let her hug him from time to time or throw her hand around him, but another thing entirely was letting her hold his hand.

"Did she drug you or something?" Suigetsu asked as he raised an eyebrow at Sasuke and from the corner of his eye he saw Karin glare at the shark boy.

"I did no such thing." Karin shrieked and Sasuke had to stop himself from closing his eyes in annoyance.

"There's a ring on your finger." Juugo commented being the first of the two to notice. It was then that he saw Suigetsu draw his attention to her hand and then to the ring. His reaction wasn't the one he expected. He expected for him to say a rude comment but instead his eyes widened if just slightly and then his eyes turned to Karin, confusion more than clear on hs face.

"There is!" Karin quickly replied as she let go of Sasuke's hand to show off her ring. "Soon I will be Uchiha Karin." She declared and Sasuke noted that he didn't seem to be the only one not liking the sound of it.

"Don't claim victory just yet." Suigetsu muttered under his breath and although Karin didn't seem to hear Sasuke did.

Juugo smiled at both Sasuke and Karin seeming to be glad for both of them. "Congratulations." He told them sincerely and Sasuke wondered what was there to be congratulated about.

"I have an idea." Karin spoke as she turned to Sasuke trying to get his attention. Somehow Sasuke knew he wouldn't like the words she would speak next, all they would serve is to make the day worse, if that was even possible.

* * *

"Sakura!" She heard her name being called and she sighed before closing the book she had been reading and setting it aside. The voice came from outside and she stood up from her bed and made her way to the balcony. "Sakura!" The voice belonging to a blonde knucklehead exclaimed again even louder.

"I think I made it clear enough, I don't want ramen." She told the blonde as she shook her head in disapproval, Naruto just didn't know how to listen.

"I'm not here because of that!" He defended himself. "Though I haven't eaten yet, on my way to Ichiraku I met Hinata and invited her but for whatever reason she fainted." He told Sakura as he scratched his head and Sakura resisted the urge to sigh, he was as oblivious as ever. "So I had to take her to her house and then I bumped into Kakashi and that's why I'm here; we have a meeting!" He told her at last and Sakura was surprised.

"I'll be down in a minute." She told the blonde before once again disappearing into her room. Being only in her black shorts and red shirt she quickly found the pink skirt she usually wore and put it on before grabbing her pouch and strapping it on.

With that she quickly left her room and descended the stairs as quickly as she could. "Mom! I'm leaving with Naruto, be back later." She called off to her mom who she thought was in the kitchen and without waiting for a reply she left the house closing the front door and spun around to find herself with an impatient looking Naruto.

"Took you long enough!" He complained loudly and Sakura rolled her eyes in response.

"I barely took a minute and if you were in such a hurry you should've just come yesterday." She told him as they both started to walk.

"That doesn't make any sense; we were on a mission yesterday." Naruto replied with a scoff.

"Anyway! What's the meeting about?" Sakura asked the blonde.

"Well Kakashi told me Sasuke was inviting us to dinner at his place; both Team 7 and his other team." Naruto answered and Sakura visibly tensed something that didn't go unnoticed by the blonde. She was already regretting going. "I know you two aren't on the best of terms, but as I said one of you two has to be willing to make the first move and it seems he was willing enough." Naruto finished before looking at Sakura.

"Suspicious if you ask me." She muttered under her breath before sighing. "We'll see how it goes." She told Naruto with a forced smile and Naruto seemed content with that.

They talked amiably along the way with Naruto telling Sakura the story of how Hinata fainted and how she should get that checked and since Sakura was a doctor she could help with that. Naruto being the oblivious idiot that he was still didn't notice even after all these years Hinata's reason for fainting.

It happened less than it did before, and she stuttered much less too which was a good thing. But the Hyuga heiress was still shy around Naruto and sometimes it was all too much for her and she would end up fainting, especially since Naruto had the habit of getting a bit too close.

Sakura tried convincing the blonde that there was nothing wrong with the girl and that she didn't need a doctor's checkup but Naruto wouldn't be swayed.

She shook her head at the blonde as they made their way to Sasuke's apartment. The Uchiha compound was still under construction and so he had no choice but to live in an apartment too close to civilization for his liking.

Sasuke's apartment was big and could almost be called a house so she didn't really fear the thought of trying to fit two teams in there. She just didn't want to see him, not after that kiss. A kiss that she still wasn't quite sure what it was supposed to mean.

Naruto was obviously the one to knock as he called. "Teme!" Between knocks someone opened the door with a bright smile, but it wasn't Sasuke. It was one of his other teammates. Karin.

"Hello Sakura, Naruto." Her smile seemed to widen and Sakura raised an eyebrow at Naruto who shook his head in response. After settling in the village both teams had gotten along better than anyone expected; even Sakura and Karin something that caught plenty by surprise. It wasn't weird to see a nice Karin; it was just weird to see an _overly_ nice Karin.

Both Naruto and Sakura stepped inside the apartment and made their way towards the living room where they found both Suigetsu and Juugo, but still no sign of Sasuke. "How ya doing, pinky?" Suigetsu greeted Sakura as she freely sat in one of the two couches she had once forced Sasuke to buy.

"I was great until Naruto decided to drag me all the way over here." She spoke throwing a sour look at the blonde standing by the entrance of the room.

"Wait until you hear." She thought she heard Suigetsu mutter under his breath but it was too low for her to be too sure.

"How are you doing Juugo?" Sakura turned her attention to the orange haired man sitting quietly besides Suigetsu.

"I'm alright." He replied simply with a cheerful smile. Juugo was Sakura's patient, she had supplied him some daily medication for his condition and for the moment it seemed to be working great.

Karin entered the room practically skipping and without a word went up the stairs as if the apartment was hers. Sakura for a second thought bitterly that she was going to find Sasuke before mentally kicking herself and reminding herself that she was mad at Sasuke.

Minutes passed quickly as they sat there, Naruto tried talking with Suigetsu but he seemed to be in a sour mood considering he barely replied to the blonde although that didn't stop Naruto from talking.

It seemed to have been forever before she saw Sasuke walk down the stairs in his usual attire with Karin not far behind. Sasuke's gaze seemed to be glued to the ground, his expression thoughtful. Sakura couldn't help as her gaze was drawn to him, there was something about his posture and expression that made her wonder what the meeting was all about.

His eyes met hers and normally he held her gaze never being the one to turn away first, but this time as soon as his eyes met hers he turned his attention elsewhere.

"So what's this about, teme? Finally going to apologize to Sakura for whatever it is that you did wrong?" Naruto asked in a joking manner, but Sakura didn't miss the confused glances of Juugo, Suigetsu and most of all Karin. She also didn't miss how Sasuke's shoulder seemed to tense if just slightly.

But maybe she was just being paranoid.

"And what did our little Uchiha do to Sakura this time?" Sakura turned to where the voice came from to see none other than Kakashi with his back against a wall. "Don't mind me, I just let myself in." He made a small greeting with his hand. His attention turned to Sasuke with a raised eyebrow.

"This has nothing to do with her." Sasuke quickly answered too fast for Sakura's liking and she looked away trying to pretend it didn't hurt, but she knew there was no fooling him.

"Of course it doesn't." Kakashi said with a nod. "Then do tell us, what is this out of the sudden mystery meeting about?" It was the question all of the members of Team 7 were asking themselves as their gazes turned to Sasuke. All of them knew this wasn't normal behavior for Sasuke.

Sasuke sighed before opening his mouth to speak, but Karin beat him to the punch and spoke first. "Sasuke and I are getting married! And he thought we should let you all know as soon as possible." She raised her hand to show off the ring.

Sakura's mouth parted if just slightly in surprise. Her gaze turned to Sasuke who was looking directly at her as he gauged up her reaction to the news. She blinked a few times as she processed the news her eyes still on his waiting for any indication that what Karin said wasn't true, but he remained unmoving.

Sasuke and Karin are getting married.

Sasuke and Karin.

* * *

_a/n: For those confused yes this is a SasuSaku story, don't worry. I'm sorry about the over used plot, but I'll try to do it my way. And this story is not to put the girls against each others (hope I can achieve to avoid that)._

_Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed and some feedback would be super nice._


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